The latest story in the Maine gubernatorial race involves a prompt ending to a press conference by Paul LePage, the Republican candidate for the office, after a question about his property tax history in Maine. I’ll let you decide whether he ran away or just stormed off in an unprofessional fit, but the fact remains that there is now another entry (well, two, actually) in Paul LePage’s colorful history with the press.
The issue of LePage’s tax history – like that of Cutler’s residency – may not turn out to affect the election in any meaningful way. Even so, they’re still reasonable questions to raise. Is Paul LePage sick of the question? Obviously. But that doesn’t mean that the questions will stop. One of the responsibilities of an elected official (or his representatives) is to control the message and answer relevant questions when they arise.
The obvious spin on this story would be that the press ambushed LePage with a question he deemed unimportant. Granted, the Maine media isn’t exactly perfect, as we’ve seen this weekend and as we’ve seen previously. They do have a tendency to focus on issues of lesser importance, and they sometimes linger on those issues.
So why is this bump on the campaign trail important at all? It’s all about the message it sends about a possible LePage governorship. Will he shy away from questions or refuse to answer those that aren’t to his liking while in office? How can we trust a state leader who doesn’t respond to questions that he doesn’t feel are appropriate? A governor has to address the criticism of the state and use that feedback in a productive way to best govern the state’s interests. If he denies any discourse with the press or with his constituents, his governorship won’t be a valid representation of the people. That’s not how to lead a state government.